The Collector
by foxy11814
Summary: A mysterious man arrives on Eternia claiming to be a collector of unique commodities throughout the universe. Eternos has such an item that catches the stranger's interest, and if it is obtained, the action would be enough to bring King Randor and the entire planet to their knees in anguish.
1. Chapter 1

_This story has been in my head for quite a while now and I decided I couldn't wait any longer to write it. This will NOT be one of my monster fics. I am aiming for it to be finished in five chapters, give or take one or two. (My outline has five, so that's what I'm thinking at this point, but it's definitely going to wrap up right away.)_

_Anyway, I hope you enjoy it. Oh, and I do realize that Skeletor's aircraft is also called the "collector", but let's just make that a not-so-happy coincidence, okay? LOL _

**The Collector**

_A man stood among the hills and stared at the life that surrounded him. The blue sky above him and the thick green vegetation were things that he had seen on many other planets. To the naked eye, there was nothing special about this place, but he had heard stories, many that had enticed him to seek the truth for himself. They had stated that science and magic collide on Eternia and if there was one place in the entire universe where he could go to continue his hobby, it would be this planet._

_He smiled as he heard the familiar rumblings of something mechanical. Within moments, a vehicle of some sort appeared in the distance, heading in the opposite direction. He ran towards the object and tried to follow it just to see where it was going when he suddenly found himself in a clearing. In the distance, he could see a large, burgundy city resting on a massive eroded mountain._

"_Eternos," he said to himself, grinning at the sight._

Prince Adam and Man-at-Arms arrived at the Royal Palace with only a few minutes to spare before court began. They had visited the Fertile Plains that morning, because they had heard reports of Skeletor's presence, but when they arrived everything had been calm and serene. There had been no indication that Skeletor or any of his followers were in the vicinity, so after a thorough exploration of the grounds, they had headed back to the palace.

"I'm actually glad it turned out to be nothing," Adam stated with a yawn as he stepped out of the AttakTrak. Despite the fact that the rumor had gotten him out of bed before the sun had even risen in the sky, he hadn't particularly wanted to go toe-to-toe with his nemesis on this day.

Duncan smiled briefly and replied, "Me, too. Who knows what your father would have thought if we had both missed court!"

Adam shrugged, unconcerned at the notion. "Actually, I think that would have turned out okay. If both of us were missing, he would have known there was a good reason. If _I_ had been the only one missing, he would have believed I was up to no good again." The grimace that settled on his face made Man-at-Arms frown, but he couldn't help the expression. He had found himself with that same countenance again and again over recent months and all of it was a result of his secret life as He-Man. But, he wouldn't regret a second of it. He knew Eternia and its people were worth the hassles he went through on a regular basis, but that didn't also mean that he was impervious to the results his actions had on other people and their opinions of him. As usual, he would just continue to push through all of the negativity one day at a time.

Duncan didn't reply aside from a firm squeeze on the prince's shoulder to show his support. Most of the time that was all he needed, for Man-at-Arms, Orko, or Cringer to remind him that they were here with him every step of the way. That was enough; it had to be.

Without delay, they walked into the palace and made their way to the throne room.

=)=)=)

The court proceedings of Eternos always seemed more like a ball than a gathering of government officials, but then again, as his father had explained to him when he was a teenager, a lot of frivolousness during this time actually commented on how _good_ things truly were in the kingdom. After all, if there were no problems to address, that meant there were no problems. "'_No news is good news,' as Mother likes to say_," he thought to himself with a smile as he took in the individuals who were present.

Dukes, duchesses, royal guests, and soldiers were spread out across the room. The former three groups were dressed impeccably in colorful apparel that was made in the obvious attempt to be noticed. Prince Adam knew when it came to the females in attendance, his attention was the one they sought after most. After all, it was getting closer and closer to the time when the Prince of Eternia would have to select a bride. There were already rumblings from the citizens who were curious when King Randor would corner his bachelor son and insist that he choose a young woman to have at his side as princess. What all the ladies obviously didn't know was that when everyone had the same idea to catch his attention, it didn't quite have the desired result. Instead, it was the people who were _not_ dressed so elegantly that he noticed.

Teela, who was in her everyday uniform, stood out like a beacon in the back of the room. Her white uniform and golden armor was in such contrast with the delicate lace and silk on all the other ladies that his eyes had gone to her without any effort whatsoever. Of course, she did have the advantage over the others with her radiant red hair that shined brightly in the sunlight that entered the room through a nearby window.

Without any meandering, he headed straight for Teela and ignored the sighs that he heard escape from various ladies' lips. He knew what their problem was: they had wanted to talk to him, to perhaps win his favor, but they knew they would never get the opportunity while he was near Teela. And, it wasn't that the people thought they were an item. No, everyone knew they had grown up together, so they were used to seeing them together. It's just that everyone knew his bodyguard was fiercely protective of him and she didn't like the possibility that women were after him simply for his crown. And, of course, the awkwardness was there when they sought him out because most of them _were_ after him because of the crown he rarely wore…

As Adam reached Teela's side and flashed her one of his patented goofy lopsided grins, the festivities were interrupted by a group of guards entering the throne room. "King Randor," Lt. Marcus called out above the crowd's noise, "you have a visitor who wishes to speak with you."

The announcement immediately grabbed Adam's attention. It was not unusual that people would beg to have an audience with the king. It happened nearly every day and most of the time, the reasons weren't important. They could be handled by lower ranking officials and they usually were, so the fact that the guards had actually brought someone to his father _and_ had interrupted court to do so, spoke volumes.

Teela must have been thinking along the same lines, because she walked beside him and mumbled, "Come on."

They made their way back towards the throne but kept their eyes on the guards. They were circled around the visitor, so no one had caught a glimpse of him or her, yet. This made the event all the more suspenseful.

A million questions floated in Adam's mind: Why were so many guards present? Were they guarding or restraining this visitor? How did this person convince Teela's guard to interrupt court? Who was this person truly?

He knew the answers could be anything, so he had to be prepared for any possibility. He glanced at Orko briefly and noticed that the little Trollan didn't seem overly concerned. He knew if his little buddy had felt magic in the room, he would have been at his side in a millisecond.

Finally, when the guardsmen reached the throne, they dispersed slightly to reveal a man standing in the middle of the group, and Adam immediately gasped. He knew why they had brought him right away. He was obviously not from around here.

He was a tall and lanky man, who stood around six feet high. He had long black hair that spilled past his shoulders. While these things weren't exactly common for normal citizens of Eternia, they were not the qualities that made him stand out. Instead, it was his skin color. His skin was so red that it was almost auburn. Whether that was his natural skin tone or the man had spent many, many years in the sun was not apparent. Also, his eyes were a bright red that almost seemed to be made of fire. All of this stood out greatly because of his clothes that were completely black from head to toe.

King Randor's voice stopped him from making any further observations of the visitor's appearance. "Who are you, stranger?" his father asked, standing from his seat.

The man turned his head from left to right and smiled.

The sight made Adam cringe, because the smile didn't seem to be friendly. Oh, the man was definitely amused, but the expression seemed almost sinister as he scrutinized the people around him. Eventually, his eyes settled on King Randor and he answered, "They call me The Collector."

"The Collector?" Man-at-Arms gasped.

Adam immediately glanced at his mentor and walked to his side hurriedly. "Duncan, who's The Collector?" he asked. He knew from the elder's response that Man-at-Arms had heard that name before and the soldier was obviously concerned.

Before Duncan could respond, the Collector glanced over at him and stated the very thoughts that had crossed Adam's mind. "I see you have heard that name, and clearly my reputation precedes me, but perhaps you would let me clarify why I am truly here."

King Randor stared at his man-at-arms and said, "Tell us what you know, Duncan."

Duncan turned to the king and replied, "I heard about someone called the Collector years ago when I was still training to be a soldier. It was said that he was a being who travels the universe looking for…the unique. He collects anything that is rare, anything that is one-of-a-kind."

The Collector bowed deeply, a little too dramatically. "You have heard correctly. I am that man and I'm here because I have heard of Eternia. I have heard…"

His words were interrupted by the sound of Teela's high-heeled boots crashing to the floor as she stomped over to her father. "I know men like you!" she snapped. "We have handled them before! You're here for Eternia's last unicorn, aren't you? Well, you can't have it! King Randor has made it a crime to hunt it, so if you think for one second…"

The Collector laughed loudly…horribly; there was no mirth or warmth in the sound. "Listen, girl, I do not want your unicorn. Unicorns may very well be a rare commodity on Eternia, but there are other planets with such a creature. Unless your unicorn is somehow unique compared to those, I do not desire to have it in the slightest."

He effectively silenced the captain, but luckily, her father took up the conversation. "Then, what do you want?"

The Collector smiled once more and said, "I do not know. I thought I would make my presence known, ask for a guide, and search the planet for anything worthwhile myself."

Adam could no longer remain silent. "What makes you think we're willing to let you have whatever it is that you discover? If it is rare to our planet and even the entire universe, why would we want you to take it away?"

"I would preserve it," The Collector explained. "I would bring that commodity to the attention of the universe. My collection is viewed by countless individuals who wish to be educated about the places I have been and the things I have seen. My collection is a gift to everyone, because the items I have will never be lost to time and death. Everyone can have the opportunity to enjoy them for years to come."

"What kind of things are in your collection?"

The Collector lifted a brow and said, "For someone in the presence of a king and queen, you do ask a lot of questions for them. Tell me, who are you?"

Without hesitation, Adam said, "My name is Prince Adam. I'm son to King Randor and Queen Marlena." He gestured his head to the top of the throne.

"Ah, that explains it," he said with a nod. Then, a thoughtful expression crossed his face, one that sent chills down Adam's spine. The Collector looked almost…hopeful?

The visitor snapped his attention back to the king and queen and said excitedly, "Forgive me for my apparent rudeness, but I've heard about this planet and kingdom in my travels. Is it true, Queen Marlena?"

Marlena stood beside her husband and raised a quizzical eyebrow to the man. "Is what true?"

"Are you from Earth?"

Instantly, Randor slipped an arm around his queen and held her tightly to his side. "You cannot have my wife!" he stated with such a fury that his voice made the guards immediately draw their weapons. Even Man-at-Arms and Teela pointed their freeze rays at the man.

The Collector huffed at them with a roll of his eyes. "Earthlings are not a rare item. I have been to their planet and I daresay there are more Earthlings than there are Eternians in the universe, so you do not have to worry about my wanting your wife, King Randor."

The room was silent as the Collector turned to stare at the queen once more. Teela and Man-at-Arms did not lower their weapons and neither did the rest of the guard. Everyone could feel the tension in the room, even though no one knew exactly what to expect.

Finally, the queen answered his question. "Yes, I'm from Earth."

The stranger smiled intensely and looked to King Randor. "And, you're an Eternian." It wasn't a question; it was a statement.

Randor wrinkled his brow in confusion and said, "Of course I am."

The Collector grinned again and nodded his head slowly several times. He looked down at the floor as he chuckled, but then he turned his head slightly and stared directly at Prince Adam.

When their eyes met, Adam knew. "_Me,_" he thought; "_He wants me!_"

Numerous people must have come to a similar conclusion, because within seconds, the room erupted into chaos. King Randor and Queen Marlena almost fell from the throne since they were running down the steps towards Adam as quickly as they could. Man-at-Arms and Teela ran to stand between the Collector and Adam, and the other court attendees gasped and moved back as the guards in the room circled around the stranger's back.

There could be no question in anyone's mind: Prince Adam was a rare commodity. He was the product of the union between an Earthling and an Eternian, and despite the fact that these species looked similar and were able to procreate with one another, there were differences in their physiology that Eternian scientists had noted throughout the years with the help of studies on Queen Marlena. Adam would be quite an addition to the collection. Adam had no doubt about that. Even though he did have a twin, both were still considered to be unique. After all, Adam was the only man and Adora was the only woman of this pairing.

"You cannot have my son, either, villain!" King Randor yelled as he finally reached his son and slipped an arm around his shoulders. Marlena wrapped her arm around her son's waist and leaned into him protectively. Both parents almost seemed to be trying to push Adam behind them, to shield him in case the visitor made a move towards him.

The Collector watched the scene undeterred and asked nonchalantly, "Will you provide me with a guide, so that I can travel the planet with some idea of where I am and what things are called here?"

Before King Randor or Queen Marlena could answer, Man-at-Arms spoke hostilely, "Of course not! Leave the city now while you still can!"

The Collector laughed again and said, "Well, can I at least drop by your library to get a book on Eternian anatomy? I already have one on Earthlings, and I think I'm going to find the similarities and differences quite interesting…" He let his words hang in the air for a moment.

The threat was understood by everyone in the room and King Randor wasn't going to stand for it.

"GUARD!" he yelled. "Take this man to the dungeon at once!"

Immediately, the man reached inside his coat pocket and pulled something out. He threw the item to the ground and instantly the room was engulfed in a thick smoke that made sight impossible. Everyone yelled and bumped into one another as they tried to seize the Collector as well as protect Prince Adam.

Adam wanted to run to turn into He-Man in all of this chaos, but it was impossible because his father and mother had a death grip on him. Instead, help arrived in the form of Orko:

"Billow, Willow, Pillow, Day, make that smog go away!"

Instantly, an intense wind developed in the throne room. Papers, hair pieces, and loose debris flew around as everyone tried to grab onto something to try to keep from falling. Of course, most people did fall because there was almost nothing to grab, but luckily, the smoke was now gone.

"ORKO!" Man-at-Arms cried as he fell on his butt.

As soon as Orko said another incantation to make the wind stop, everyone noticed that the Collector was no longer present. He got away and they all were wondering if he would be back and if he was truly after Prince Adam.

=)=)=)

_Like I said, this story is not going to be too long, but I would appreciate any feedback you have if you're interested in the plot and would like to see what happens next! Thanks! Oh, and yes, I know there are some unanswered questions in this chapter and they will be answered. Just so you know. LOL_


	2. Chapter 2

_I just wanted to say thank you for the reviews and interest shown in this story. I appreciate it. I hope you enjoy this chapter, as well._

**The Collector Chapter 2**

_There was no question that Eternia was beautiful. The plants, the river streams, and the soil were free from any unnatural contaminates that he had seen on so many other planets he had visited. No doubt all of that could change quite easily as the Eternians advanced their skills in technology and industry—he had seen potential and the possibilities in Eternos, but he was actually glad of the planet's almost rudimentary state. It made his hobby a lot simpler. He could observe wildlife and the vegetation without that pesky wonder if a mutation from pollution had occurred. He wanted items that were truly and naturally unique. _

_The more he searched the planet for something worthwhile to add to his collection, the more frustrated he became. His thoughts kept returning to Prince Adam. He actually didn't know if the young man would be worth having or not. It was possible, after all, that either parent's genes as a whole had been dominate during the creation of their son, and he might be just as Earthling or Eternian as any other. But he truly wondered at the possibility that Prince Adam was something truly unique. Just the fact that he was a product of two different species made him special, but he wanted proof, something tangible…_

_He wanted to examine the prince and he seriously doubted King Randor would willingly give him the opportunity to do so. The notion of simply taking Adam did not make him pause in any way. He had done similar things before and it had always worked out in the favor of his collection._

_Turning around, the Collector stared back in the direction of Eternos even though he could not see the great city from his location. He knew what his next course of action would be: he would return._

A group of five men and one woman stood near the door of the library as Prince Adam perused the contents of the shelf in front of him. He didn't like that they were there. Ever since the Collector had fled from Eternos, his father insisted that his son have an entourage of bodyguards until the possible troublemaker was located. They had no idea where the Collector was or how he had even arrived on the planet, so Adam knew it was possible that he might be stuck with these guards for quite some time to come. The thought did not please him at all. Instead, it made him worry about the future: How in the world would he turn into He-Man when he had six bodyguards to lose instead of one? It had been bad enough when he only had Teela to worry about!

Sighing as he looked back at the group, he stated assertively, "All of you don't have to be here. Some of you could take a break. I'm in the middle of the palace in the middle of the day. I highly doubt anything's going to happen here."

The five men looked uneasy as they turned their heads slightly to look at the captain. Teela folded her arms across her chest and squinted her eyes at the prince. It looked like she was preparing to argue with him when she suddenly stopped and a thoughtful expression crossed her face. "You're right, Adam," she agreed. She then turned to her men and said, "You're dismissed, but make sure you leave your comlinks on. I'll contact you when I need you."

"Yes, ma'am, and thank you, Your Highness!" the soldiers said as they clicked their heels together and saluted the prince and captain before leaving.

As soon as the door shut, Teela leaned against it and resumed her earlier confrontational posture. Adam turned his attention back to the bookshelf until the heels of Teela's boots told him she was approaching. When he turned to look at her, she said, "I got rid of them."

He arched his brow at her in reply. He didn't know why Teela stated the obvious, but he had a feeling he'd find out soon, so he said nothing in return and wasn't disappointed.

"I'm waiting for you to tell me what's going on inside that head of yours!" she stated. "You've been distracted and quiet since court, and while I know you like reading, you've been staring at this same bookshelf for the past hour. What's on your mind?"

Almost immediately, Adam turned his head to look at the fictional books in front of him before shaking his head. He then abruptly turned around and headed across the room. He could hear Teela following him, so he didn't bother to explain. He turned down one of the nonfiction aisles and stared at the books in front of him. When he felt Teela's presence slightly behind him, he whispered, "I've been wanting to come over here all day since court, but with so many people around I…" He shrugged.

Teela stepped beside him and looked at the shelves. They contained science books. Adam placed a finger on a biology book hesitantly before moving it to an anatomy book. He pulled it from the shelf slowly and continued, "I don't know why I was never curious before. Mother and Father never made a big deal out of it, so it never even crossed my mind to wonder."

He looked down slightly to the floor before turning his head only a fraction to gauge her reaction. Teela looked almost sympathetic as she pulled the biology book he had hesitated on from the shelf. "What do you expect to find?" she asked.

He sighed and chuckled a little. "I have no idea!" he exclaimed. "I don't know what I'm looking for, but I thought maybe something might pop out at me, something that I know is different from me in these books."

Teela placed her free hand on her friend's arm and asked, "Wouldn't it be a lot easier to simply ask the queen? I'm sure she already knows all the answers you seek."

Adam smiled sadly and nodded once. "Maybe, but I don't know what my asking would cause." He turned to face Teela straight on and explained, "Like I said earlier, Mother and Father never made a big deal out of what I am. As a matter of fact, Mother never made a big deal out of the fact that she was from Earth. I mean, I knew she was and she would tell me stories about how she came to be on Eternia, but she never really went into detail about her actual life there. Looking back now, I realize I should have wondered about that when we met Miguel and Alisha. Mother was really excited about Christmas. It was a time she loved on Earth, and yet, I knew nothing about it until those children showed up on Eternia. I…just don't know if I should ask her, because maybe she doesn't want to discuss it. There's a reason why I'm so in the dark, so I figured I'd look into it myself and not cause any trouble by asking."

He walked to a nearby table and Teela followed dutifully. When they both sat down, she asked softly, "How can I help?"

He shrugged and answered, "Just your presence is great."

When Teela reached out her hand to squeeze his, a soft female voice interrupted the moment. "And, what about ours?"

They both turned quickly to see King Randor and Queen Marlena standing behind them. Adam felt his face and ears heat up from embarrassment. He wondered how much of his conversation they had heard.

Teela immediately stood from the table and greeted, "Your Majesties." She then turned to the king directly and said, "I relieved the other guards from duty since we had plans to stay in the library for a while. I knew he would be in no direct danger since the guard is on high alert, and…"

The king waved his hand dismissively. "No need to explain, Captain. I know you would never put Adam in danger." He walked around the table and sat in front of his son. He smiled at Adam as he squeezed his hand and added, "Do you think you could step just outside the door, Teela? Adam, his mother, and I have a lot to discuss, I suspect."

Teela frowned only slightly as she bowed and replied, "Yes, Your Majesty." She walked from the room quickly and shut the door.

=)=)=)

Queen Marlena sat down at the table and ran her fingers across the biology book that Teela had left there. "I think it's obvious that you have a lot of questions after what happened today," she stated.

Adam stared down at his lap and didn't say anything at first. He expected his parents to begin shooting off explanations of why this had never been discussed or reprimanding him for going behind their backs to learn the information. Instead, silence settled in the room. Eventually, he chanced a look at his mother and she smiled at him. She placed her hand on top of his father's and that's when he realized King Randor still had ahold of his.

He looked at his father and finally replied, "The Collector's obvious interest in me makes me question why. I never thought I was…different. I don't know why I never thought about it before, but I didn't. And, now…"

Marlena moved her hand down from her husband's to grip her son's wrist. She rubbed it slowly and said, "We never wanted you to feel different. We knew you would already get enough of that from simply being a prince. We didn't want to add onto it by confusing you with traditions from Earth and differentiating between Eternians and Earthlings. In the greater scheme of things, the differences are so simple and so unimportant to everyday life that I decided it didn't really matter until you wanted to know."

Adam looked down and asked almost timidly, "Is that why you never told me about Christmas?"

She nodded. "Christmas is around your birthday, and I didn't want anything to distract everyone from you, so I kept it to myself all these years. I don't regret that at all. We live on Eternia, Adam. Christmas is a religious holiday. On this planet, you have your Ancients; on Earth, I had God and his son. While I would have loved to have been able to share Christmas with you as a child, it would have been selfish. You would have discovered eventually that no one else celebrated the holiday; you would have talked about it with others. You might have even decided you liked the Christian religion as a child and that would have caused problems. Your knowledge of all of these things would have kept reminding the people that you are…what you are, and as a future king of Eternia, Randor and I decided it would be best if we downplayed that aspect of your life until you were ready to discuss it. Of course, I didn't keep everything of Earth from you. We simply incorporated those things into regular Eternian life. The way we celebrate birthdays with cake, presents, and singing is a tradition from Earth. It caught on rather quickly with the people and they never questioned where the idea came from. That's just one example of many."

Adam nodded and questioned, "Are you willing to tell me now?"

She smiled and said, "That's why we're here. What do you want to know?"

He chuckled a little sarcastically and quipped, "I know saying 'everything' would be too vague, but that's what I want to say."

She nodded and said, "Okay, then we'll tell you everything, but where would you like to start?"

Adam pulled his arm away from his parents and placed both hands in his lap. He looked down at them for a long moment and then stated, "I would like to know if I'm different, and if I am, I want to know how."

He watched as Marlena looked at his father. When he turned his attention to the king, he saw Randor nod a few times. He then met Adam's gaze and replied simply, "Your eyes are one thing."

"My eyes?" he questioned surprised.

"They're blue," Marlena said with a grin. "All humans on Eternia have brown or green eyes." Her blue eyes were shining brightly at him from under the florescent lights in the library, and it made him finally see her as something different than the norm on Eternia.

He fumbled for his next words, but he eventually managed to croak out, "Uh, well, maybe I'm just like Earthlings. Maybe I should be comparing myself to them…and why hasn't anyone commented on my eyes before now?"

"Oh, they did," Marlena replied. "You were just too young to remember. It was something that made quite a stir after your birth, but everyone thought they were beautiful. I'm sure you've heard the ladies at court in recent years giving you complements about them."

"Well, yes," he agreed, "but I thought it was because they liked them, not because they were different."

She shrugged and said, "Luckily, we never had a reason to get into that with you. All your playmates grew up with you, so they never questioned it or thought it was weird, and their parents were tactfully silent thanks to our discussions with them. Like I said, we didn't want you to feel different."

King Randor then cleared his throat and added, "And, as for comparing you to just Earthlings, I'm afraid that won't work either."

Adam lifted his entire brow quizzically as Marlena immediately replied, "Your physique would be extraordinary for an Earthling at your age. You definitely take after Eternians in that area."

"Are there any other differences?"

Both parents nodded, but before either could open his or her mouth to explain how, the palace alarm sounded.

=)=)=)

Teela burst into the room and yelled, "Let's get you to a secure location, Your Majesties!"

Randor, Marlena, and Adam immediately stood from the table and made their way towards Teela and the exit. "What's going on?" the king asked.

"I'm not sure yet," she admitted. "My lieutenant has not answered my calls yet, but he might be in combat. Regardless, my number one priority is making sure all three of you are safe. Let's go!"

As soon as they stepped into the hall, Adam heard what sounded like someone in pain. It seemed to be coming from the direction of the throne room. He looked down the corridor and exclaimed, "Maybe I should go help!"

Teela gritted her teeth at him and said, "Oh, _now_ is not the time to all of a sudden put on a brave front! It might be the Collector coming after _you_! Now, let's go!" She pushed on his shoulder to move him forward.

Adam felt the distinct desire to run. He wanted to go back to help the man he had heard earlier. He wanted to help the Royal Guard in the fight with whomever this intruder was, but he knew it would be hard to get away right now. Both of his parents and Teela would stop him if he tried and he didn't want them to get hurt. So, he followed.

When they entered the Royal Hall, Randor punched in a security code for what Man-at-Arms called their "safe room." When the secret door opened, he pulled on Marlena's hand and said, "Come, my dear!" As soon as she stepped inside, he turned to his son, extended his hand, and said, "Adam."

The prince hesitated and it was in that crucial second that some kind of blast hit the floor between Adam and Randor. Both men and Teela fell to the ground, but the king quickly tried to scramble to his feet to get to his son. "ADAM!" he exclaimed as he saw his son slowly sitting up.

Adam pressed a hand to the back of his head as he got to his feet. He had banged it against the wall slightly after the explosion had flung him backwards. When he was able, he looked at his parents and saw their fearful expressions. His father had stepped out of the room and was making his way towards him hurriedly when yet another blast settled between them. That's when he turned his head to the right to avoid the flying debris and he saw Teela. She was passed out on the floor!

"TEELA!" he exclaimed and tried to make his way towards her.

Then, he heard his father yell out his name again, but it was too late. Suddenly, he was grabbed from behind and he could tell from the arm around him who it was: the Collector.

"No!" Adam said as he tried to fight the villain. He slammed his elbow into the Collector's abdomen continuously until the man let him go. Adam then pulled out his sword, but before he could bring it completely in front of him, the Collector rushed at him. Both men fell to the floor and the sword skidded out of reach.

Within seconds, Randor was standing over them and he kicked the Collector's side several times before helping Adam up. "Let's go, son!" he exclaimed.

They ran back towards the safe room and were just about inside when a sudden explosion from the roof brought enough debris down to cover up the entrance and them! Adam pushed large wooden pieces of the ceiling off of him and looked at the scene before him.

"FATHER!" he said. "FATHER!" It took him several seconds to spot the king under the debris, but he finally did. Without hesitation, he ran to Randor and began to pull him from the rubble. Unfortunately, he never got the king out completely.

In his desire to rescue his father, he had forgotten all about the Collector, so as Adam's hands had slipped under Randor's arms to pull him to safety, the Collector had grabbed the prince from behind again and placed a white cloth over his mouth.

Within seconds, Adam was asleep and defenseless.

=)=)=)

_-EDITED-See the reviews for an explanation on why I said Eternians have brown or green eyes. I do have reasons! In any case, whether you like that part or not, I hope you enjoyed the chapter._


	3. Chapter 3

_This chapter is a lot shorter than I intended it to be, but I decided to post it as is anyway just because I wanted to get something out. I hope you don't mind._

_Also, I wanted to thank all of you who responded via PM or review about Adam's eye color. Some of you were kind about it, while others…well, I'll just say thank you to those of you who were more than happy to give me literary license to change a little detail like that to suit my purposes in the story. That means a lot._

_Anyway, again, sorry this is a short chapter, but I promise the next one will make up for it. This is a transition chapter mainly to get me to where I want to be for the true "fun" to begin…even though, I don't think a certain someone would be using that word…LOL._

**The Collector Chapter 3**

_He knew his time was running out. _

_Whether he liked it or not, he had gotten to a point of no return. He had essentially kidnapped the Prince of Eternia, and as it stood at that moment, he had no idea what he was going to do with Adam in the long run. In his desire to capture yet another marvelous piece for his collection, he hadn't really thought through all the ramifications of his actions. _

_But for the present, that didn't matter. His spacecraft was well-hidden. A giant invisible force field surrounded the ship and blinded everyone to its presence. King Randor had absolutely no idea where to look and even if he did, he wouldn't see it. The Collector knew it would buy him enough time to continue his exploration of the planet as well as find out the answers he sought about the young prince. _

_He truly hoped that Adam was something unique and worth all of the hassle the boy was surely going to put him through. He had to be._

Aching and miserable, Prince Adam opened his eyes. The room was engulfed in darkness, but there was just enough light from an unknown source behind him that he could tell he wasn't in his room. In fact, he had no clue where he was!

He groaned as he tried to bring a hand to his throbbing head but gasped when he found himself unable. He looked down and could see that he was fettered to a bed with four large brown leather straps wrapped around his wrists and ankles. He could barely move at all! That's when he remembered what had happened:

The Collector.

Undoubtedly, the villain had somehow subdued and then taken him from the palace, but that didn't answer where they were now!

"HELLO?" Adam called out. He didn't exactly know if it was a wise decision to draw attention to the fact that he was awake, but he wanted answers.

The sound of a door opening behind him made him struggle to sit up and turn around. He couldn't do it, so he plopped his head back down and said, "I know you're there. Show yourself."

He expected to see the Collector. Instead, he saw an older man with wild gray hair and pale skin in an oversized white coat with a black shirt and pants underneath. He looked almost sick and overworked despite the darkness of the room.

"Who are you?" Adam asked nervously, watching as the man pulled over a small rolling table and picked up a syringe. Adam's eyes widened and he struggled in vain to get away. "What are you going to do with that?" he asked.

"I'm just giving you something to keep you calm" was the reply. The stranger didn't bother to answer the other question.

As soon as the needle entered his skin, Adam felt a coldness rush through his body and he felt like he was floating. "I don't want anything to keep me calm," he said as he closed his eyes and the room began to bob up and down uncontrollably.

The man chuckled and said, "I suspect a lot of things are going to happen soon that you won't approve of, Prince Adam, but I can hardly help that."

Adam opened his eyes and did his best to stare at the man. He was seeing two of him now. He frowned at the sight and gasped, "Please, sir. You can help. You can let me go!"

The man shook his head slowly and whispered, "I'm afraid we're all prisoners here. I only have so much freedom, but maybe if you're good, you'll be granted some, too, eventually. For now, he's trying to determine if you're worth having around. Let's hope you are."

Adam groaned and replied, "I hope not."

The man pushed the table away and stepped out of sight. "Yes, you do, Prince Adam. Once the Collector takes you, you never go home whether you're exceptional or not. Remember that."

He heard a door close and Adam simply laid there as a tear slipped down his left cheek. He wanted to fight against his restraints and try to escape, but at the moment, he felt too sluggish to even make the attempt. He knew he was in deep trouble.

=)=)=)

King Randor opened his eyes and immediately pulled himself from the debris that surrounded him. His actions caused a cloud of dust to spread into the air and several loud coughs to erupt from his chest. Rubbing his hands over his eyes a few times to try to alleviate the sudden stinging sensation and his blurry vision, he looked around slightly confused before bellowing out the only two words he could manage at that moment. "MARLENA? ADAM?"

Ever so softly, he heard his name muffled nearby. He turned in the direction of the voice and gasped when he saw that the entrance to the safe room was completely covered with bricks, wood, and mortar from the ceiling. "Marlena!" he exclaimed, immediately forgetting about his own condition and rushing over to the large pile. Without hesitation, he began to dig at the top of the wreckage to try to gain some sight into the room. He could hear Marlena saying his name every time he said hers, so he was at least comforted by the fact that she was awake and able to speak. Within moments, he managed to remove enough rubble to see directly inside. That's when he called his wife's name one more time and her face suddenly appeared.

"Randor," she said with a sigh of relief. "Are you all right?"

He grinned slightly, more so to comfort her than to show his true emotions. "I'm fine, dear," he answered. "I'm just concerned with getting you out of there."

He continued to dig while Marlena did the same on the other side. He didn't know how much time had passed, but soon the room was filled with guards who came to assist with the digging. Once this aid arrived, the queen was freed within a matter of minutes.

"Randor!" she exclaimed as she rushed into his arms.

The two embraced each other tightly for several seconds before they pulled away to look at the chaos around them. Simultaneously, they both called out, "Adam?"

At that moment, the room suddenly shifted into an awkward silence. Guards and maids who had shown up to help clear the area stopped moving. It seemed like everyone held his or her breath.

Only his wife's sudden outcry broke the trance everyone had found themselves in and made the realization of the situation set in. "Oh, God! ADAM!"

Randor raked his eyes across the room frantically. He looked at every face, desperately trying to spot his son. The only thing that he saw that brought any level of comfort was the sight of Teela waking up on the floor, but even that didn't stop the sudden pressure that stacked itself on his chest. "No," he whispered at first, but then he kept repeating the word and getting louder each time he said it. "No! No! NO! NO!"

=)=)=)

_Let me know what you think if you are so inclined!_


	4. Chapter 4

_I just wanted to say thank you to those of you who are following this story and giving reviews. I also have a personal message for the person who reviews as "Friend." No, I didn't delete your review. I have my account set up where it catches anonymous reviews and I have to manually approve it for it to show up right away on the site because I do get a lot of not so kind words tossed at me from time to time even with this story and even about other people's stories. I think we have a troll who frequents this site and likes to cause trouble. Anyway, your review was at the bottom of many that I got from this story and others and after three days, it uploaded itself since I didn't deny it. In any case, your first review and your second review is up without my deleting it with the appropriate times on there. I was in no way trying to be mean. I'm appreciative that you're a long time reader and hope you continue to be one. I would never intentionally offend anyone. I apologize for responding to you here, but since you do not have an account, I couldn't PM you privately and I wanted to make sure you saw this. _

_In any case, I hope everyone enjoys this chapter! _

_Oh, and here is a __**warning**__: this chapter gets kind of violent. There is torture of a sort, but I won't say to whom. I'll go ahead and say it's not necessarily Adam, even though I know he's the likely candidate. I just don't want to ruin what happens for those who don't want to have a spoiler, but I do have to warn you in case you don't want to read something like this._

**The Collector Chapter 4**

_He stood over the bed and smiled at the sedated prince. Prince Adam had responded well to the __benzodiazepines that he had been given from Earth and now it was time for the true tests to begin. The Collector pulled a chair over to the bed and sat down to wait for the drugs to wear off completely. Adam was moving his head slowly from side to side and looking around as if he were slightly confused. He probably was._

_When the prince finally fixed his eyes on him with a steely glare, the Collector winked in amusement because he knew realization had finally dawned on the boy and remarked, "Right on schedule." He could tell the prince was worried about the statement and he couldn't really blame him for his anxiety. This part of the process was never easy for anyone and his "items" always seemed to know that ahead of time unfortunately…_

Adam tried to slide away from the Collector but found himself unable to do so from the restraints that still kept him pinned down firmly to the bed. He opened his lips to speak but found his mouth so parched that he was only able to croak a little. The Collector immediately stood from his seat and moved to grab something on a nearby table: it was some kind of cylinder container with a tube extending from the top of it. The Collector moved the object to the prince's mouth and Adam immediately closed his eyes, pressed his lips together firmly, and turned his head away.

The Collector laughed with no little enjoyment. "It's only water, Prince Adam," he said; "It would be wise to take some now while you still can."

The words frightened the prince far more than Skeletor ever had. _While you still can?_ He looked back at the Collector and opened his mouth slowly, so his captor could slip the tube inside. Hesitantly, Adam sucked on it and placed his tongue over the hole to taste the liquid before he allowed it to pour into his mouth in great quantities. When he tasted nothing foreign, he drank greedily. He was surprised at how thirsty he was, but he knew he had no idea how long he had been in that room. It might have been minutes, hours, or days. He simply didn't know.

When he had his fill of water, Adam leaned his head back on his pillow and breathed deeply. Once again, he tried to speak but had to clear his throat more than once to get the words to come out correctly. "Why are you doing this?"

The truth was he already knew part of the answer. Duncan had explained at the palace that this man collected rare commodities throughout the universe, but Adam believed wholeheartedly that there had to be more to it than that! When the Collector merely lifted a quizzical eyebrow at him and did not answer, he snapped, "I'm a human being! I'm not some lab rat or exotic plant you found on barren land! You have absolutely no right to do this!"

The Collector actually seemed to contemplate the prince's words, but it was only for a brief moment. The man sat back down in his chair and crossed his legs as if he were getting comfortable so they could have a debate on the topic. He probably was getting ready to do exactly that, Adam realized.

"Who is to say what is right or wrong in such circumstances?" the Collector asked. "I consider myself a scientist. I learn about the different species throughout the universe and preserve them for future studies. What I find wrong is the notion that we lose these rare items through the passage of time without truly understanding what they are and how they came to be. Who knows what you could provide for the future? Maybe inside you lies something that we will all wish to have or a cure to some rare disease on a planet far away from here. I provide the hope of finding such things when I collect."

Adam struggled against his restraints and lifted his head obstinately. He glared at the Collector and spat, "And, how many cures have you found? In what way has your efforts ever helped anyone besides yourself? You seem to be implying that you are doing this for everyone, but you call yourself the Collector, which means you consider what you take as _your_ property. I think this has more to do with fame than anything else!"

The Collector stood angrily, clinched his fists, and pressed them firmly to his legs as he stated, "I'll admit some notoriety has occurred through my efforts, but that is hardly what I seek. I do genuinely pursue knowledge, Prince Adam, and just to prove that, I'll allow you to tell me what I'm looking for instead of searching for myself. What is unique about you? How are you different from your father and mother?"

Adam swallowed nervously and ran his eyes across his own body. "I don't know."

The Collector laughed and exclaimed, "You don't know? Do you really expect me to believe that?"

He walked behind the bed where Adam couldn't see, but he recognized the sound of a rolling table moving. Remembering what had happened the last time someone had grabbed that table, he yelled out, "Mother and Father never told me anything while I was growing up! I never knew I was different and it didn't occur to me to ask. I only started asking questions when you showed up and you interrupted our first conversation on that matter." He paused for a second and admitted, "The only thing I know about is my eyes."

The Collector suddenly appeared in front of him looking very interested. "Your eyes?" he questioned happily. "What about them?"

Adam shrugged and replied, "There's nothing special except for the fact that they're blue. Supposedly, humans on Eternia only have green or brown eyes. It's a trait I received from my Earthling heritage."

The Collector smiled and said, "Very good, Adam." He then walked behind him again and he heard the table rolling once more.

"I've told you all I know!" Adam insisted.

The Collector came into his line of vision once more and chuckled. "And, I believe you." He picked up what appeared to be a small rod off the table and held it up for the prince to see. He then leaned over, used his left hand to widen Adam's eyelid, and clicked something on the rod. A light suddenly emanated from the end of it and The Collector flashed it over Adam's right eye.

Adam tried to impede his captor's efforts by pressing his head firmly into the pillow, wiggling his head, and trying to close his eyes. It only resulted, however, in the Collector increasing the pressure around his eye.

When Adam cried out in pain, the Collector bellowed, "Well, if you would just let me do what I want to, it wouldn't hurt!"

A tear trickled down Adam's cheek when he finally allowed the observation to occur and the Collector had eased the pressure he was putting on his face. After a few minutes of the Collector looking in both eyes with and without the rod and crazy looking glasses, it was finally over.

He turned away from his patient and shared, "I'll be right back. I want to compare what I see here to the genuine articles."

"The genuine articles?" Adam repeated questioningly, but the Collector didn't respond. He simply left the room again.

=)=)=)

Adam didn't know how much time had passed since all he could do was simply lie there and stare at the ceiling and his sides. He heard what sounded like something rolling again, but he could tell it was a lot bigger and heavier than the table at his bedside. Within moments, he saw the older gentleman he had seen earlier, but he appeared to be walking backwards.

"Hey!" the prince called out and lifted his head so he could get a look at what the visitor was doing. He gasped when he saw that the man was pulling on a gurney with someone on top of it. The Collector was at the other end of the moveable bed and they soon placed it a few feet away from Adam's.

"That will be all, Philip," the Collector said and the elder bowed deeply.

"Thank you, sir."

As Philip left the room, Adam struggled against his straps again and said, "What are you doing? Who is this guy?"

Adam was almost scared to hear the answer, but he knew he needed to find out. He needed to know. He hated to think that _he_ was the cause of someone else on Eternia being taken just so the Collector could compare their bodies.

The Collector seemed to ignore the question at first while he lowered the railings on the gurney and then checked to make sure the straps covering the man's ankles and wrists were tightened securely. He then turned to Adam and acknowledge him and his question. "His name is Nathan. He's an Earthling that I brought along just in case I needed to compare Earthlings to other humanoid species. I'm glad I did."

Adam gasped at the news. "What? You mean he's not unique? He's not one of your prized possessions? You just took him to help you study others?" When the Collector turned away and went back to Nathan, he cried, "What kind of monster are you? You said earlier that you were doing this for human kind, but that's not what this is! How many other normal individuals do you have?"

The Collector turned back to him and said, "I have to have a comparison, do I not?"

"What about books?" Adam cried. "You said you had a book on Earthling anatomy, so why do you need an actual person?"

"Earthlings only wrote about what they found significant. I might find something they didn't even think to look for or notice when I look at you or other human-like species. You see, my efforts to be prepared paid off. He'll help me study you." He then looked thoughtful for a moment and added, "Of course, this means I also need a normal, healthy Eternian, as well, to make a true comparison."

Adam's jaw dropped and said, "No! You—you can't!"

The Collector grabbed the rolling table from Adam's bedside and wheeled it over to Nathan's. He chuckled and shook his head in clear amusement. He didn't respond to Adam and merely picked up something from the table that looked like some type of needle or syringe. "Okay, Nathan, I need for you to open your eyes."

Adam lifted his head and watched in fear as the Collector brought the needle to Nathan's left eye.

As soon as the man saw the medical instrument, he closed his eyes and yelled out in alarm! "What? No! You said I wouldn't be experimented on like the other!" he cried.

"Nathan!" the Collector said firmly, almost as if he were chiding a small child.

"NO!" the man wailed. "YOU SAID! YOU SAID…"

The Collector put down the needle and then pulled on Nathan's hair to straighten his neck out so he could glare at him face to face. Nathan hissed in pain and when he opened his eyes, he saw the Collector glaring at him. "I said nothing of the sort!" he replied. "I said I had no use to study you like that at that time. I have reason now." He motioned his head towards Adam, and Nathan turned to see what he was gesturing towards.

A look of anger and then disbelief and fear crossed Nathan's features. "No! I've been good! I've been loyal! I've helped you!"

"And, you are helping me now, boy," The Collector said soothingly. He let go of Nathan's head and patted his hair down gently. He then turned around and went to a nearby counter.

Adam watched as the Collector pulled open drawers until he seemingly found what he was looking for. It looked like a small metal claw. Adam widened his eyes when he realized what that might be used for. He struggled against his restraints and pleaded, "Please, I beg you! Leave Nathan alone! He hasn't done anything and he doesn't fit your criteria! You said so yourself! Please! This is cruel!"

The Collector ignored the prince and walked back over to Nathan. "Are you going to fight me?" he asked.

Nathan's mouth trembled softly and then he turned his head away.

"Very well, then," The Collector said as he proceeded to climb on the edge of the gurney, grab Nathan by the head, and force him to turn his head back towards the ceiling. "OPEN YOUR EYES!" he yelled.

When Nathan didn't comply, the Collector began to smack him continuously in the face. Blood splattered everywhere from a busted lip and who knew what else.

Adam cringed and yelled out every time he saw and heard the hits.

Eventually, Nathan gave up and opened his eyes.

"That's a good boy," he heard the Collector mumble and watched as their captor then grabbed the claw and immediately jabbed the object into Nathan's face around his eye.

Nathan immediately let out a bloodcurdling scream that resounded throughout the room and left Adam's ears ringing as he yelled right along with him. Adam knew the contraption was holding Nathan's eye open, so the Collector could do anything he wanted without any hindrance. "I'm sorry!" Adam cried as tears slipped down his cheeks. He could almost feel the pain himself as he watched the Collector step off the bed and pick up the needle again. "I'm so sorry!"

Adam squeezed his eyes shut and tried to block out Nathan's yells. He knew what was happening and there wasn't anything he could do to stop it! Tears continued to fall as he realized with surety that this would happen again to an Eternian very soon as well as to himself.

He found himself praying to the Ancients that he could somehow find a way to stop this.


End file.
